A Family Business
by nelliesbones
Summary: A story of one-shots and scenes around the beautiful and highly anticipated season seven of Bones. And I'm breaking a personal rule, so beware, there are #SPOILERS#! Otherwise, warmhearted and M for a reason.
1. Earrings

_This is a story of one-shots and scenes around the beautiful and highly anticipated season seven of Bones. And I'm breaking a personal rule: I won't avoid spoilers. So, __**SPOILER WARNING**__. _

_This chapter is for lovely Clare (smfc1877) who squealed with me about the latest spoilers & promos and because of this conversation we had:_

_Me, "She doesn't wear earrings in bed :)"_

_Clare, "Pretty sure Booth makes sure that isn't all she doesn't wear ;)" _

A FAMILY BUSINESS

I. Earrings

She didn't wear earrings in bed.

He knew that after six months of seeing her in various beds, and most of the time, Booth made sure that this wasn't all she didn't wear.

But... mundane details like this... every once in a while they caused his throat to tighten, his chest to swell, his stomach to flutter.

She didn't wear earrings in bed. Of course, how could she? Her favorite style was way too fancy and dangly anyways to be comfortable to sleep upon. It shouldn't leave him all mushy and awestruck, but then again, her naked earlobes went along with her face bare of make-up and sometimes her body bare of everything.

Right now she wore something purlpe-ish, typing on her laptop while lying in bed beside him. His bed. To be exact, on the right side of his bed. Her side.

Outstretching his hand, he brushed the soft flesh of her earlobe with one finger. There was barely enough space for a caress. Her lips curved up in response to his touch, but, other than that, Brennan's focus stayed on the laptop screen. Fishing for his cell on the bedside table, Booth opened the camera app and captured the moment. The click finally caused her head to turn around.

"Booth, I already promised you not to show the photo to Angela."

Ever since she had taken that picture of him, preparing breakfast for her, well, _before_ getting dressed, he had been very busy collecting compromising pictures of her should that special shot ever show up at the Jeffersonian. This one was different, though, and he regarded the photo of her with a loving smile.

"Nah, this one's just because."

"Because of what?"

Reaching for her laptop, he removed it from her belly and put it down next to the bed along with his phone.

"Because you look great in my bed. And you're not wearing earrings."

Her hand came up, tugging at her earlobe, while a puzzled expression washed over her face.

"I never wear them in bed."

He swallowed hard.

"I know."

The banality of the topic stood in contradiction to the almost reverent look on his face, and Brennan frowned. Did she miss something? His warm palm on her belly had replaced the laptop, and she tried to guess if this was a sexual approach or just a simple touch of intimacy. Did he even touch _her_ or was the caress meant for their daughter? Sometimes it was still hard, this love and romance thing, and she who had always felt safe in science and facts had found herself in a reality where everything seemed to be soft and intuitive.

To say that she had been apprehensive would be the understatement of the year, but one week after she had found out about the baby, Booth had taken her to the ice rink where they had skated the night away after his concussion.

"Why are you bringing me here? I'm not sure if I should skate. The risk of falling and harming-"

"God, no, Bones. No way you're setting as much as a toe onto the ice."

"I'm not sure if I understand this."

"Remember the night we've been skating right here? You were wearing that cute hat with the bobble."

"I remember."

"Remember what I told you?"

"You said that you would never let me fall."

"Did you trust me?"

"Well, you actually did let me fall. But... I trusted you."

"Do you still trust me that I would never let you fall? Be always there?"

"Yes. This is a metaphor, right?"

His chuckle had caressed her skin and the ice.

"I made it extra-tangible just for you."

And just like that... she had been less scared. The ground was unfamiliar, but he was there to walk with her. She could understand that, even more, she could feel it to be true. Nonetheless, most of the time "subtle" was still lost on her.

His fingers were still tracing the swelling of her midsection, and he rested comfortably on his side. With her laptop taken away from her, there was nothing to do but surrendering to the moment.

"Do you want sex?"

"Bones," he whined.

"I'm just asking to be clear because if you want sex, it would be appropriate for me to touch you as well. If you just want to feel the baby, I should lie still."

He groaned and buried his face in her shoulder.

"Maybe you hadn't made up your mind, yet?" she tried.

"Holy Mother... Bones, you can touch me whenever, wherever you want, and you know that. And, yes, with you, I'm always in the mood for sex. You know that as well."

A wicked smile appeared on her face. Oh, yes, she did know that. She had collected a lot of evidence over the past months. In his apartment or hers. In his car. And once in her office, even though that particular memory still made her blush.

Lifting her hand, she run her fingers through his dark hair. It never failed to surprise her how soft it was.

"Right now, I'm just lying here with you. It's wonderful to feel our baby growing inside of you, and it's plain great to have you here in my bed. My team just won the game, it's Friday and I'm happy to be with you. What about you?"

"Well, obviously I'm lying here with you as well, and even though my writing was repeatedly interrupted by you yelling at the TV, I find that I'm quite happy myself."

A grin bloomed on his face, and his hand cupped her nape to tug her down to his lips. He tasted just like he always tasted at the end of the day; warm, familiar and a minty trace of toothpaste in his kiss.

There were goodnight kisses, good morning kisses, see you later kisses. Kisses of heat and passion and softer ones which spoke of tender affection and belonging. Some kisses were placed on her growing belly as well. All those kisses were part of her life now, had been for six months, and Brennan found it quite hard to imagine a time when she had seen him every day without kissing him.

His other arm came around her back, and he pulled her closer to his body. Hugging her had changed over the past months. Only half a year ago, she had been snug and tight against him, snuggling into his arms like a perfect fit. Now there was quite an impressive bump to work around, and he was constantly afraid of crushing her or the baby, bubble-wrapped or not.

He loved her new curves, though, her heaviness. Booth was sure that there was an anthropological reason for that as well, but he would rather bite off his tongue than mentioning it because sometimes the highly evolved Temperance Brennan was just like any other woman, and pointing out a few extra-pounds could be a very bad idea.

Breaking the kiss, he traced the line of her jaw with his lips, and she sighed contently in his arms.

"Maybe you do want sex after all," she murmured.

"Maybe I just wanna silence you?"

"I have to be quiet, then?"

He chuckled, and his teeth nipped her earlobe.

"Be as loud and talk as much as you want. But no words from the blacklist."

"I still think that list is unfair."

"I still think that words like 'intercourse' or 'penetration' shouldn't be used in bed. Or against walls," he hurried to add.

"But the words you suggested aren't that appealing."

Leaving her neck, he looked at her with a bemused smirk.

"You know what? I take it back. Be as loud as you want, but don't talk."

Bending down, he kissed her pouting mouth, and his lips grazed the frown on her forehead.

"I'm not sure if I should be offended."

His hands dove under her purple shirt, skimming incredibly soft skin.

"Sorry, Bones. And guess what?"

He had found the globe of her breast, squeezing gently, and she arched into his touch with a soft moan.

"I am in the mood for _intercourse_," he breathed.

"I cannot wait to remove your clothes and _couple_ with you. My _penis_ fits perfectly info your _vagina_."

His husky voice sent pleasant shivers down her spine, but somehow the words were wrong. She cursed inwardly, realizing that he had proven his point.

"Make love to me," she whispered. "I want to feel you inside of me."

"Ha!"

"'Ha' as long as you want to, but don't stop."

Lifting her head, she kissed his cocky grin away, and soon his hands on her started moving again. He knew her body so well. Granted, after six months this wasn't unexpected, but somehow he had known how to touch her right from the start. His lips on her breasts, his head between her legs, his body joined with hers – it had simply felt right... from the very first time on. There had never been as much as a second of awkwardness between them, and it seemed as if physical intimacy really had been the next logical step, the one thing their relationship had lacked so far.

A swirl of his thumb brought her back to reality, and she gasped. At this stage of her pregnancy, her breasts were ultra-sensitive, and even the softest touch sent electricity-like sparks through her whole body. He always seemed to know when it was too much, though, and soon his teasing thumb was replaced by his warm palm, simply cupping her. His mouth was back at her neck, licking the tender skin.

Her own hands found the hem of his well-worn gray shirt, tugging at the fabric until he left her body long enough to pull it over his head. It was forgotten before it hit the floor. His bronze skin looked even darker under her white hands, and she admired his strong muscles, his perfect structure. Her gaze wandered lower, and she couldn't suppress a smile at the sight of the new curve of his tummy.

"You've gained weight."

"Thank you, Bones, you look great as well."

Her fingers tickled over his midsection which was softer than usual.

"It's fairly common that men gain weight along with their pregnant mates."

"Well, popcorn for breakfast doesn't help, either. Blame it on your weird cravings."

"I'm sorry that my pregnancy cravings messed with your usually very healthy eating habits."

He ogled her suspiciously.

"Temperance Brennan, did you just use sarcasm?"

She beamed.

"I believe I did."

"I'm torn between feeling insulted or proud."

She distracted him with a peck on his shoulder, followed by a trail of gentle bits to his neck.

"Hmm..."

From earlier explorations, Booth already knew that her purple shirt was a wrap thingy and that he could open it with one simple tug at the strings. He loved it. It was almost as magical as microwaves.

"Abracadabra," he murmured, and one moment later the garment fell apart, revealing her naked torso.

She didn't wear a bra, and he sighed at the sight of her so perfect in front of him. Her breasts were... extraordinary. He had noticed them long ago – hell, he was a man – and finally he was allowed to touch and look at them. He had seen them growing in the past months, had been there when the rosy pink of her areolas had turned to a darker shade. He loved them. They were hers, and they were his.

Lowering his head, he nuzzled the soft flesh with his lips, gently and carefully.

"I love your breasts," he confessed, even though it was kind of obvious.

"I love... oh... I love you... ah... loving my breasts."

His lips wandered lower, leaving a trail of wet kisses behind on the way to her belly. He paused when he reached the hem of her wide sweatpants – an old pair of his own – placing a kiss on the firm skin covering their daughter.

"Hi baby."

Her hands flew to his head, raking through his hair, and he rubbed his stubbly cheek against her belly.

"Beautiful, Bones, you're so beautiful."

"You have to believe that since you're the one who impregnated," she caught his wrinkled nose and hurried to choose another word, "who is the baby's father."

"No, I believe that because I'm a man and not blind. And nice save, Baby."

"I don't know... _oh_!"

He had finally abandoned her belly, and his hand cupped her mound through the fabric of the pants, rubbing slowly but steadily.

"You're saying?"

She didn't say that much anymore, but her throaty hums were encouragement enough, and he hooked his thumbs into the waistband, pulling pants and panties down her legs. Then she was naked, only her arms were still caught in the sleeves of her purple wrap shirt.

Lifting his hand, he grazed the inside of her creamy white thighs with his fingernails, and she shuddered, as her legs opened on their own volition.

Six months of kissing him paled compared to six months of having sex with him...

"Booth..."

"Hmm?"

"I... I love you."

Lowering his lips, he kissed her thigh, breathing her all in.

"I know, Bones."

She had gotten better at saying it, but even before the words had left her lips for the first time – in his car after examining the victim of a particularly grave case of domestic abuse; her voice shaken but steady, his heart suddenly bright despite the darkness of the case – he had just known it. He had found the truth in the way she took care of him, in her arms around him at night, in her wholehearted surrender when he was making love to her.

"I love you, too. With everything I have."

He had always been good at saying it, had been brave enough to tell her long before she had found the courage to verbalize it. And she could feel it. Brennan couldn't explain it rationally, but whenever Booth was there, something inside of her gravitated towards him. He was warmth, safety, peace of mind. He was home.

"I know, Booth."

Shifting his head a few inches, he kissed her intimately, his lips grazing her hot flesh, his tongue tasting her wetness. Salty, female, her. She gasped and squirmed above him, her hands still anchored in his hair. His mouth closed around her sensitive bud, sucking gently, as two of his fingers dipped into her core. Her gasp turned into a cry, and he hummed against her flesh, creating vibrations that fluttered through her whole body.

"Yes! More..."

His fingers moved in and out of her in a steady rhythm, stroking her with just the right amount of pressure, and all the while he was licking and sucking her, reveling in her breathless moans, her throaty pleas. Pleasuring her gave him a ridiculous kick, and he just loved that he was able to reduce his brilliant partner to an incoherent bundle of desire.

He had been hard the second she had been unwrapped in front of him, and now his cock was twitching in anticipation, almost painfully swollen. As much as he wanted to lick and suck her all night long, right now he needed her in a very selfish way, and Booth released her with a last kiss, one more stroke.

She moaned in protest, feeling achingly empty without his caresses, but one heartbeat later he was next to her, kissing her hard, and she found herself on his lips. Hands were fighting with clothes, garments were kicked away, and then they were pressed to each other hot and naked from head to toe. Well, almost pressed.

"Turn around, Babe."

Obeying without hesitation, Brennan moved in his arms until she was on her side and he could wrap himself around her from behind. One hand splayed on her belly, he found her breast with his other one, squeezing it while his hot breath whispered over her nape.

She could feel his hardness pressed against her buttocks, and she wriggled slightly to create even more friction. He groaned close to her ear, and the hand on her belly slipped lower until it disappeared between her legs anew, rubbing her swollen clit with one callous fingertip.

Moaning, she tried to get her hand between their bodies, but in their current position and with her limited flexibility, she could hardly touch anything but his thigh.

"I wanna touch you as well," she protested, but his claim on her body only increased.

"Sorry... this is me being selfish. God, I need you."

"Yes, please. Take me."

She lifted her leg in invitation, and he shifted until the tip of his arousal made contact with her entrance. Warm, wet, inviting.

With the knowledge of six months of doing this and seven years of dreaming about it, Booth tilted his pelvis to join them. And he was home. His groan mingled with hers in the otherwise quiet room, and, with one hand pressed to the juncture of her thighs, he thrust into her from behind. His head fell onto the pillow, her ponytail tickling his nose, and she was just so snug, so absolutely perfect around him.

Brennan felt... precious. This position reduced her to a kind of sexual submission which was quite unlike her, but she couldn't deny the overwhelming feeling of safety that came along with being taken by him like this. He couldn't hit her particularly strongly or deeply, but Booth the lover emanated a natural power she hadn't known before. The anthropologist in her knew that this was the alpha male claiming his mate, but the woman in her... oh, the woman in her couldn't help but respond to his gentle kind of strength with quivering thighs and a rush of wetness.

"You okay, Bones?" he rasped, and she nodded wildly, trying to meet his thrusts.

"Yes. Take me... make me yours."

He moved faster now, and his teeth sunk into her shoulder, marking her white skin.

"You are... mine."

Her hand found his between her legs, clasping it, and he rocked into her with his very own mix of dominance and tenderness, stroking her until her insides hummed and vibrated in response, stroking her even beyond humming and vibrating.

He could feel the moment she lost it, he always did, and she clenched around him in her very own way of claiming what was hers.

"Yes, come for me," he demanded, and she cried softly, as she trembled and fell in the safest embrace she had ever received.

Somehow he found the strength to rock her through her climax without coming with her, and when her contractions subsided, her fingers linked with his, and her throaty voice called out to him.

"Follow me."

Two words which summed up who he was, and he couldn't think straight anymore. His balls tightened, once, twice, and with one last powerful stroke, he came inside of her, and if he hadn't held her so tightly, he might have fallen.

She could feel his orgasm, his release, his warmth, and a languid smile played around her lips. Temperance Brennan would never admit it, but she loved it when he came inside of her. She had been sexually active for over a decade, but not once before Booth had the orgasm of her partner added to her own satisfaction. With him, it did. It was probably archaic and not very 21st-century-woman-like, but, still... she liked it.

He was softening inside of her, slipping out of her, and part of her mourned the loss. It didn't last long, though, because he turned her around in his arms, and his lips met hers with that kind of tenderness which can only be found in the aftermath of passion.

"Hi," he greeted her, and she smiled at him.

"Hi yourself."

Blue eyes, hazelnut hair, rosy cheeks. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, celebrated the absence of earrings one more time.

"You're so beautiful. And no matter what kind of squinty remark you have in store, you just are."

She blushed slightly.

"Well, thanks, then."

"Sleepy?"

"Hmm-hm."

He dropped a kiss onto her head.

"I'll be right back."

Snuggling back into the pillows, Brennan watched him walking around gloriously naked, and the idea of taking another picture crossed her mind. Just because he was beautiful, as well, not to have more blackmailing material, of course. Yawning, she decided that she was too lazy, though. Plus, she was fairly certain that there would be more opportunities to see his naked body.

Because... among all the things he had given her, there was one treasure she had never thought she'd possess one day.

Faith to believe in the future.

To be continued...

_So, how badly do you wish you could skip October?_


	2. A Touching Moment

II. A Touching Moment

"This case is solid. The suspect confessed and bang."

"Well, Chérie, it is not. He withdrew the confession and, in your words, _bang_."

Booth ruffled his hair with a sigh. His day had started with waking up alone in an otherwise empty bed, and it had only gone down from there. Arguing with Caroline Julian was only the negative equivalent of a frosting on top of the crappy cake which was his day.

"Look, Caroline, Bones and the squints have collected a lot of evidence pointing to him."

"I need more. I need better."

"They went over the results twice. Twice."

"Then make them do it a third time. Or are you afraid that your lovely girlfriend will throw some bones at you?"

Caroline chuckled, but Booth didn't find it funny a bit.

"She is pregnant, not crazy."

"As the word is, she has been crying at a crime scene."

"Again, she is _pregnant_."

"It's somehow a consolation that even Dr. Brennan isn't impervious to the influence of hormones."

"Tell me about it," he muttered, and Caroline pricked up her ears.

"Aw, poor you. Is the brilliant Doctor giving you a hard time?"

He set his jaw.

"You know what? I'm not discussing my love life with you."

Caroline shrugged.

"At least there is a love life to discuss. I almost gave up hope for the two of you. Get back to me when you have real evidence."

Booth watched her walking away and turned around himself. He almost made it into his office, when-

"Hey, Booth."

"Sweets."

The young psychologist looked excited, a flush covering his cheeks.

"Is this a bad time? I thought we could head to the gun range. You know, since I will be your partner for the next..." Sweets caught Booth's dark glare. "Ahem, sort of partner for the next weeks. As long as Dr. Brennan is, you know... incapacitated."

"Incapacitated? Don't let her hear this."

"Right, anyways, my request for a gun has been approved, but I would appreciate your supervision very much."

"They gave you a gun?"

The young man nodded with boyish glee.

"Yeah."

"Okay, don't let her hear that one either."

"Agent Booth?"

Marcy, the blond secretary headed towards them.

"Assistant Director Hacker is looking for you, something about your budget."

Grabbing Sweets' shoulder and turning him around happened in the blink of an eye.

"Let's go to the gun range."

"Agent Booth!"

"Ahem, are you sure this is a good time?"

"Chosen between the devil and the deep blue sea, you win, Sweets."

"Ah... okay. Ahem, Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"Am I the devil or the deep blue sea?"

"Don't ask. Just don't ask."

-BONES-

And it went even more down from there... Shooting practice with Sweets felt like babysitting, Cam was not amused about Caroline doubting the lab's chain of evidence, and Hacker's office wouldn't stop calling, so that 6 pm that day found Booth in an unpleasant budget meeting.

Apart from the note on the bedside table next to him – _It__ is __6 __am, __and __I __feel__ like __channeling __my __current__ energy __into __something __productive. __By __the __way, __your __twisted__ sleeping __position __is __bad __for __your __spine. __Bones_ – he hadn't heard from Brennan all day long, and he felt grumpy. On top of everything, she had been right because his back hurt like hell.

Exhausted and drained, Booth collapsed on his office chair around sevenish, when his cell suddenly vibrated.

_She is kicking again. I got hiccups. Angela was making fun of me._

"Aw."

A slow beam washed over his face, erasing the events of the day, and, with renewed energy, he jumped up – "Ouch!" – and grabbed his car keys.

The lab was already quiet, when he arrived fifteen minutes later, but the light in her office pointed him in the right direction. And there she was. Letting go of a deep breath, Booth granted himself one luxurious moment to watch her. She wore a fluffy shirt, something with blue patterns, and simple black pants. Her hair, soft and wavy, curled around her shoulders, and she was so obviously warm and soft and pregnant that something tense inside of him crumbled.

With a knock, more a gesture of politeness since her door was already open, he entered her office, and then everything was suddenly right again, as she looked at him with a smile of recognition of her face.

"Booth."

"Hey, Bones."

He plopped onto her couch with a lopsided grin, content to let her finish whatever she was doing. His suit jacket already left behind in his car, he loosened his tie.

"So... hiccups?"

She looked down at her belly.

"It's over. You didn't have to come."

He released a deep sigh.

"Your text was the best thing of my day."

Her face twisted.

"That bad?"

"Worse."

"You wanna... talk about it?"

She was trying. This whole relationship business was still foreign to her, but she was trying.

"Caroline, Sweets, Hacker. The usual stuff, but even more annoying than usual."

Brennan let go of a breath. The usual stuff. She could do that.

"Hodgins and Dr. Edison took a look at the evidence again."

"I know. Let's just not talk about it, okay?"

"Okay. _Oh_..."

"Oh?"

A smile brightened her face.

"She's kicking again."

Without awaiting his response, Brennan stood up from her chair and waddled towards him, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"Feel."

His fingers grazed hers on her belly, and the combination of his warm touch – familiar, unhesitant, welcome – and his scent invaded her senses.

"Yeah!"

Brennan looked down at him looking at her belly, so enchanted, so caring. Warmth spread out, and if she had believed in something like magic moments, she would have felt that this was one of them.

"She's been quite restless today."

"Hi baby."

He could feel the softest movements under his hand, and his gaze sought hers.

"Amazing."

"Well, you should feel it from the other side."

He slid down with a content hum until his head rested on her shoulder, his palm never leaving the swelling of their child, and her fingers crawled towards his until she covered his whole hand with hers.

"You were gone."

In one of those rare blinks of clarity, she knew instantly what he was talking about.

"I left a note. How's your back?"

"Uh... fine," he lied. "But maybe, not because it's necessary, just because it's nice, you could do this Thai massage thing again, huh?"

She chuckled.

"We need a new mattress."

We. Mattress. Simple words, but combined they still did the somersault thing to his stomach.

"Whatever you want. Do you wanna go home?"

Her hand came up, caressing his tired cheek, rough at the end of the day.

"I could leave."

The baby shifted once more, and she gasped in surprise.

"Sh," he murmured, rubbing her belly in soothing circles.

"I...I," she frowned.

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to sound overly sentimental, Booth, but I've missed you today."

Tilting his head, he placed a kiss on her shoulder.

"You know, you could have called."

"Angela informed me that clingy girlfriends can be annoying."

"Angela informed you years ago that you belong to me, did you listen to her?"

"I get your point. She has been right, though."

"About the clinging?"

"No... about the belonging."

"Aw... That's my girl."

"That was just an idiom, right?"

"Of course. What else would it be?"

"A very possessive term of endearment."

"Possessive term of endearment?" He smirked. "Nah, would never do that. You're just one very independent woman who happens to share my bed."

She wrinkled her nose.

"Not funny."

He laughed at her adorableness.

"Come on, let me take you home."

"That sounds satisfactory."

Home... the word had never sounded better than today. Because... whatever happened between sunrise and sunset, as long as she was there, everything else was bearable. And, of course, Booth thought, as his hand found the small of her back to guide her to the exit, she was his girl. He knew better than insisting on it, though.

To be continued...


	3. Busted

III. Busted

"Your behavior at the crime scene was highly unprofessional."

There she was, standing in the door frame of his office, her hands braced on her hips. Her wide hips. Her arms were bare, their color even creamier than the shade of her blouse, and for a moment, Booth got distracted, as his gaze followed the length of her milky-white arms to her prominent belly and her other, well, even more prominent curves. Then his eyes met pale blue anger, and he snapped out of his reverence.

"I was merely trying to help you."

"By dragging me? Yelling at me? Booth, I have a reputation to lose."

Something like hurt flickered in his eyes, and despite her own frustration, Brennan could sense that her accusation had crossed some fragile line.

"Since when do you care about your reputation?" he snapped back, and she gasped barely audibly.

'Sexy scientist' crossed his mind, but it was too late to take the words back.

"Since I got romantically involved with my partner."

And now it was his turn to gasp in shock.

"So, I endanger your reputation?"

His voice had gotten dangerously calm, and he took one unconscious step in her direction.

"You _are_ when you are acting like an overprotective... boyfriend," she spat out the term, "rather than a partner."

"I was trying to help you up. You're pregnant with my child, for God's sake!"

"When we're working, I'm your partner. Booth," she clenched her fists in barely restrained anger, "do you have any idea how hard it is for a woman in my field to gain respect? Even today? How many whistles and inappropriate jokes I had to face?"

His face softened, but the moment vanished when he remembered all the running, kicking, climbing and squatting she had done recently.

"Bones... do you know how it feels... the woman you love, who is pregnant with _your_ child, putting herself in danger day after day?"

"Thank you for suggesting that I'm endangering your child. _Our_ child. And I was not in danger, I was simply kneeling on the ground."

The paleness of her cheeks stood in contradiction to the fire in her eyes, and her arms wrapped themselves around her body, as he took some more steps towards her. He was so close that his physical nearness called out to her with all its familiarity, but she withstood the sweet pull.

"I'm mad at you," she hissed, and he bowed his head until his cool brow touched hers.

"I worry about you," he whispered.

"You made the others laugh at me. You ridiculed me and yourself."

"I will never be sorry for caring about you."

"Booth, we need to prove that we can still work together. Even with me expecting your baby. We have to function as partners, or..."

Her clear voice faltered at the last syllables, and he squeezed his eyes shut, as he understood her true concern. He wrapped one tentative arm around her waist.

"We don't have to prove anything. Our solve rate is still the highest in the country. We don't have to gain or regain respect. We have it, Bones. We have it."

Her shuddered breath caressed his face.

"You can be so annoying."

He smiled even though she couldn't see it.

"Thanks and right back."

Tilting her head, she bumped his forehead with hers, but ever so gently.

"Moron."

"Bone-head."

"I don't like that version of my nickname," she stated, and he chuckled.

"Jeez, I'm very fond of 'moron'."

Giving the still open door one kick with his foot to close it, he pulled her properly into his arms, and after one moment of reluctance – just because she was stubborn – Brennan relaxed in his embrace. Her silky hair tickled his nose, and he inhaled her scent; a trace of antiseptics in it but otherwise powdery sweet, very female and utterly familiar.

"I might have overreacted," he admitted after a while of holding her.

"I could have accepted your help," she met him half-way.

"You could never lose your reputation, Bones. I would never let it happen, you know that, right?"

She nodded silently.

"I… I don't regret getting romantically involved with you. I might have been insensitive implying it."

"Sh... it's okay, I know."

Tilting her head, she sought his gaze, and the color of her eyes was somewhere between heat and softness. Lifting one hand, he grazed the side of her face; her eyebrow, her cheek, the smooth texture of her lips. In a gesture as involuntary as her next breath, her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, brushing his finger in the process... and he forgot how to breathe.

Within seconds, his mouth crushed down on hers, kissing her fiercely, demanding entrance. A moan got stuck deep in her throat, as she fisted his collar to pull him even closer.

Heat creates heat, and both anger and desire possess an all-consuming kind of passion – Booth and Brennan had learned that long ago, but still, the onslaught of need caught them terribly off guard.

Without thinking twice, he set himself in motion, directing her to his desk, never breaking the kiss. She clung to him, his chest, his lips, his everything, and even though lifting her bordered on insanity, he did it nonetheless, placing her as carefully as possible on top of his desk.

Her hands were everywhere, fumbling with his tie, rubbing the hard bulge in his pants, tugging at his buttons, raking through his hair, and when he could finally tear his lips away from hers, it was to burrow them between her full breasts, nuzzling satin-like fabric and even more satiny skin. Her head fell back on a whimper, exposing her throat to him, and her hands tunneled in his hair to hold him in place. He sucked greedily, kissing and licking every inch of skin he could reach, and there was heat gathering between her legs.

Because heat... creates heat creates heat.

He was seconds away from ripping her blouse open, seconds for which he would thank God later, when an outcry interrupted their passionate moment.

"Oh God! I've knocked! You... did not... oh God, I've knocked."

Booth jumped away from her with a sharp curse, blocking the sight of his partner breathless and disheveled with his equally trembling body.

"Sweets!"

"I'm not looking, I'm not seeing anything."

The young psychologist had, in fact, covered his eyes with his hands, and underneath his palms Booth could spot a pink flush covering his cheeks.

"Dammit, Sweets!"

"I've knocked!"

"Did you hear an answer?"

"I've heard... something. Oh my God."

Brennan had quickly rearranged herself, and with elegance Booth could only admire in her current situation, she slid from the desk and smoothed her hair.

"You should have awaited a clear answer, Dr. Sweets."

The young man dared peeking through his fingers, lowering his hands with a relieved sigh, as he took in her almost professional appearance. Booth, on the other side, was still covering himself.

"Oh my God," Sweets gulped. "I... I couldn't have known! You're pregnant, Dr. Brennan!"

She looked down at herself with a quizzical expression on her face, spotting some wrinkles and smoothing them in the process.

"I am fully aware of my condition. As are you, by the way."

"Bones," Booth was doing strange gestures somewhere beside her, "I guess our Sweets here is merely stating his surprise that you as a pregnant woman are engaging in, ahem, compromising, uh, _things_ in my office."

"Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying." She turned her head back to Sweets. "Regarding pregnant women as pure and asexual is a myth, Dr. Sweets, and like most myths, highly wrong."

Sweets was opening his mouth, but no words could be heard. Brennan watched him with growing curiosity.

"You do know how exactly women get pregnant, don't you?"

"What? Why? Of course!"

His face turned to an even deeper shade of crimson.

"Oh my God, are you suggesting that you got pregnant here in this office?"

Booth could barely suppress his chuckle.

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous. However... I can understand how you jumped to your conclusion," Brennan admitted. "I can assure you that this child was conceived rather conventionally in a bed."

"Oh my God." Sweets' eyes had closed again, and a fine layer of sweat was covering his brow.

"Aren't you feeling well, Dr. Sweets? You're mentioning God fairly often."

There was true concern in her voice, and the psychologist took a deep breath.

"I have to go."

"But you just came."

If possible, the young man's face darkened even further, and Booth erupted in breathless laughter next to her.

"I'll get back to you later, Agent Booth. Much later."

Sweets was gone before Booth had a chance to catch his breath, and he closed the distance to a puzzled Brennan in two steps, enfolding her in his arms. His chuckles vibrated through her body, and he lost a kiss in her hair.

"You're priceless, Babe."

Her curiosity was focused on him now.

"You used to be quite uncomfortable discussing sexual topics."

"Yeah, but not as uncomfortable as Sweets."

"So... being embarrassed pales compared to embarrassing him?"

"Totally."

Tilting her head, she placed a kiss on his cheek, and her fingers played with his tie.

"You wanna continue?"

She arched one suggestive eyebrow, but he rubbed his cheek against her hair.

"Nah, the moment is ruined. But, hey..."

Tapping her chin, he captured her lips with another kiss, a promise.

"Tonight?"

Her fingers traced his shoulder holster, and she smiled up at him.

"That sounds acceptable."

Another peck, one more smile, but before she could turn away, he tugged at her hand.

"Hey, Bones... are we okay?"

"As solid as a stone."

He didn't bother to correct her, as he watched her retreating form with a bemused grin because... some things are just too good to be corrected or changed. They should stay just the way they are.

Perfect in their imperfection.

To be continued...

_My take on the *SPOILERS* that one of their make-out sessions is interrupted in the premiere ;-) Not that I honestly believe it will play out like this... but I couldn't resist writing "Busted"._


	4. Extraordinary

"_I'm not normal, I'm extraordinary." As are they. Beware, mushiness alert ;-)_

IV. Extraordinary

The evening had been exquisite, everything about it. The food, the guest list, the wine – not that she had tasted it. A sea of tuxedos and silky dresses was waving on the dance floor, moving to the sounds of the music.

Booth was bored to death.

Apart from seeing his partner in a dress, the formal events that came along with her fame had never held attraction to him, and these days even the prettiest dress could hardly allure him anymore; not since he knew the sight of her naked in his arms.

Still, he was there, fumbling with his bow tie every now and then, engaging in polite small talk – just because his partner was this brilliant scientist, just because one more association felt the need to reward her with some award, just because she had hardly ever been just his partner.

He was bored.

Even her speech had been boring to him, spiked with some squinty jokes which had evoked almost enthusiastic laughter; jokes he hadn't been able to get.

The only thing brightening the evening was her stunning beauty. Seven months pregnant, there was a glow around her, a glow that even the unflattering Jeffersonian maternity coveralls hadn't been able to cover and most certainly not the simple but elegant black dress she was wearing tonight.

She had completed her outfit with flat shoes, her only confession to her pregnancy, linking arms with him with naturalness which never failed to amaze him, even after all these months.

She. Was. His.

However, what was still so new to him, to them, didn't seem to surprise anyone else in the room, and, yes, despite her pleasant company, he was bored.

"You wanna go home?"

Her breath tickled his ear, as she leaned in to whisper the words, and he shivered against his will. Her brown hair was smooth, as it brushed his cheek, her perfume expensive.

"Nah, it's such a," he gulped, "nice evening."

"You're not enjoying yourself."

It wasn't an accusation, just an observation.

"Nobody here is speaking real English, Bones."

"That's ridiculous."

"You know... you're still the only smart person I truly like."

She knew, he had told her so long ago, and even back then the confession had moved something inside of her. It still did.

"We could take Parker to the game on Saturday."

"I've tried to get tickets, they're all sold out."

"Well, I have tickets."

"Are you trying to make up for something?"

"No, I was merely assuming you'd like it. Plus, you've taught me to reap the benefits of my fame. Even though I still fail to see the benefits in spending hours on uncomfortable seats."

"You really have tickets?"

For the first time that night, he was genuinely excited, and Brennan squeezed his arm in an involuntary gesture, feeling pleasure she could hardly explain.

"I have."

"Yeah! Wow!"

Despite their formal surroundings, he couldn't help but pulling her into his arms, hugging her briefly but privately. Brennan smiled into his shoulder. Giving and taking... she had learned that, but nobody – not Booth, not Angela – had truly been able to tell her about the simple pleasure that lay within.

She was changing. It was a process which had started seven months ago, when she had found hope against hope in his arms; or maybe it had been seven years ago in a crowded lecture hall, when she had first been asked if she believed in fate.

She would still say no. But... it might be a lie.

"Bones? I might wanna go home just a little bit."

"Okay."

"You're really ready to leave? After all, this is your night."

Brennan gave the hall, the people, the glamor one quick glance, but soon her eyes settled on their intertwined fingers. And every argument was invalid.

"Here's nothing that matters to me."

'Apart from you,' her eyes said, and even though she didn't believe that a person's feelings could be seen in their eyes... he did.

"I'll call a cab."

It was a quiet night in Washington DC, one that was great for cabbies who were poets at heart but bad for the business. Still, there's always this one tour... with people snuggling up close to each other in the backseat of your car, forgetting about their expensive clothes, leaving behind a piece of their private history in the cushions and a generous tip in your hand. The taxi driver smiled. He knew nothing about this man and this woman, apart from the fact that she was pregnant and that he adored her, but it was enough to enrich both his heart and purse for the night. He let go of them with a smile, watching how two silhouettes blended into one, as they walked away into the night.

Oblivious to the musings of one cab driver, Booth opened the door to Brennan's building, letting her in. The elevator doors slid apart with a clang, and he enfolded her in his arms during the brief journey to her floor. She smelled enchanting, but no matter how beautiful she was dressed like this, part of him longed for stripping away the layers of disguise, revealing the true her, the real beauty. He knew that now, knew her, and after seven years of settling for the second best, Booth couldn't tire of having her as close as ever possible... and it was never enough.

They started kissing in the hallway, it was gentle but heady, and the key slipped into its lock with elegance which stood in contradiction to the need of its owner.

Then, the door fell close, and it was only them. Kissing and feeling and being. His hands caressed her pregnant belly ever so gently before coming to a momentary halt on her sides, pulling her into his strong embrace.

Nudging one leg between his, she stroked his calf with her foot, enjoying the harbinger of a moan coming out of his throat because... not matter how much he needed to feel her after all these years, now that he was finally allowed to act upon his desire, it was just the same for her. Her being pregnant with his child might have rushed things, but them being like this had always been inevitable. Psychics, psychologists and common sense had long known it, even evidence had been pointing towards it.

Clothes were discarded with care, despite their urge there was no need to hurry, and when they were finally pressed to each other as bare as they could ever be, Booth pushed her towards the couch since her bedroom was just too far away.

She met him with breathless laughter, but he kissed it away until nothing but whimpers and pleas remained.

She was his to be taken, and despite his respect for her as a woman, her independence, he enjoyed his subtle display of male dominance, and, being as strong as _she_ was, Brennan could allow herself to enjoy it as well.

He positioned her gently, and his tenderness added to the myriad of things she was feeling. Then he joined them with one self-assured stroke, taking her breath away... like he always did. Her eyes flew open in the dim-lit room, finding utter adoration on his face, and despite her usual cluelessness when it came to facial expressions, it seemed as if she was more often than not able to read him.

He was talking to her, whispering sweet truths into her heart, and, arching her back, she tried to get even closer to him. Heat was building, an exquisite kind of agony lingering on the edge, and the half-moons of her fingernails were digging into his back, marking what was hers.

She was Dr. Temperance Brennan, world-renowned forensic anthropologist, best-selling author. Brilliant, successful, wealthy. And it all... didn't matter at all.

Her world shifted, splintered, fell apart, came together again around him, and she clung to him with everything she had.

It was the oldest kind of happiness... but to them it would never be less than extraordinary.

To be continued...


	5. Looking Great

V. Looking Great

Waiting in the Royal Diner one cloudy evening, Temperance Brennan stirred her soup while thinking about eating habits. Sit at a table, use a spoon, avoid slurping. Manners were proof of civilization, distinguishing modern people from their cavemen ancestors or animals. Today she had witnessed something else entirely and Brennan was torn between anthropological fascination and simple disgust.

She would never understand the appeal of eating contests.

Brennan was usually very rational about her nutrition. She didn't eat meat, she rarely overate and she took a good salad over a piece of cake any time. At least... she had taken because ever since this baby was growing inside of her, she wasn't immune to ridiculous cravings anymore. Pie, she had even longed for pie. Brennan shook her head. Even though she didn't like her fruit cooked, apparently her daughter did. Booth should be pleased about that.

Guiding a spoonful of pumpkin soup to her mouth, she wondered about Booth's whereabouts, but before she could worry in earnest, the man himself opened the door. A smile tugged at his lips upon spotting her.

"Hi Bones."

And for a moment, just the briefest fraction of a moment, the Diner, her soup and everything else was forgotten. How often had she met him here, how often had she stolen his fries? They had shared countless meals, conversations and moods in this place. Brennan wasn't one to dwell on the past, had never been, but sometimes it was as if a window into another time opened, and she could see the past and the present right next to each other. For once the changes had been good. More than good. Sometimes you just need more than three days to get used to an upside-down perspective... and sometimes upside-down is the best thing that has ever happened to you...

"Bones?"

He ogled her curiously, and Brennan snapped out of her musings.

"I'm fine. How was your meeting?"

It was eating and talking and sharing. Sharing the events of a day, sharing a piece of pie, and even though Booth was slightly crestfallen about losing his desert again, a not so small part of him was secretly pleased that she was finally willing to give pie a try. It was a nice metaphor and, well, just nice. They lingered long after their plates had been emptied, discussing the case, and it wasn't until Brennan stretched her aching back that he suggested to leave.

It was time to go home, and, these days, "home" mostly meant the same direction. Tonight, he drove to her apartment, knowing that, off late, omelet was her favorite breakfast dish and that his place was fresh out of eggs.

She stretched herself again, and he outstretched one hand to rub her knee.

"You're uncomfortable?"

"Just my back. She seems to be lying on some nerve."

"Poor Baby..."

"I don't think that the baby is uncomfortable."

"Yeah, but... uh... nevermind."

The pet name had been a slip, and even though she tolerated it most of the time, Booth found it wise not to spell it out for her. It didn't stop him from grinning like a fool. Turning her head, she caught his smirk.

"What?"

"Nothing. Ah, look, we're at home."

She was still watching him suspiciously.

"You know that I can recognize your attempt to change the topic, don't you?"

"I don't know, can you?"

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Me? Never, Bones."

"You're lying."

"That's not lying."

"Not telling the truth qualifies as-"

"-teasing."

"Teasing?"

"You know what they say."

"What do they say?"

"The quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love."

"Your lie is a token of love then?"

"Not a lie... but a token."

"Sometimes you're very hard to understand, and I believe you make it that hard on purpose."

"Me? Never. Come on, Bones, let's get you inside."

"I'm perfectly capable of getting me inside myself."

-BONES-

Thirty minutes later, Brennan was relaxing in a bubble bath, the warmth of the water easing the tension in her back. The baby was moving, causing the surface of the water to ripple, and Brennan regarded the little waves with a frown. Sometimes, it still felt as if some kind of alien was growing inside of her, but beyond the weirdness, the novelty, there was a strange and strong feeling of connection as well. It was more than just the fact that this being inside of her shared her DNA and was attached to her own body through the umbilical cord. In some primeval way this child was her and hers at the same time.

It was the most important thing she had ever accomplished. It was terrifying.

Booth was rummaging around in the other room, filling the apartment with the sounds of his mere presence. After years of living alone, it was astonishing and almost scary how quickly she had gotten used to him being around. Brennan had long accepted his theory that love comes first and creates the reaction, but nothing had prepared her for the magnitude of it. Sometimes being with him – finding his funny socks in her laundry basket, waking up next to his sleeping face in the morning, making love to him – was so overwhelming. Love was ephemeral, couldn't last... nonetheless, she was building herself a life upon it, around it, with him.

Holding her breath, Brennan dove under the water's surface, and deep silence surrounded her. Even after all those months, she was constantly afraid of doing something stupid, something that would, inevitably, drive him away from her. It hadn't happened so far, and part of her had begun to believe that he might truly stay.

If he was the fish and she was the bird... it appeared as if they had found some magic place in the middle where both of them, despite their differences, could live together.

Surfacing again, she could hear the noise of the TV, followed by a dramatic groan. It seemed as if another sportscast was on. The appeal of it was lost on her, but she had accepted it just like he had accepted the Discovery Channel. Again... somewhere in the middle.

Booth was fine. A game, a cold bottle of beer, his woman right next door. As far as he was concerned, life was almost as good as it could get. Despite their friendship, their partnership and years of knowing each other, it had taken some time to get comfortable like this. In the beginning, right when everything had changed for real, there had been a trace of awkwardness lingering between them. Never in the bedroom, not with her lying in his arms... but later. In the evenings or around the breakfast table. They had been walking on eggshells around each other, carefully avoiding anything which might crush this shy violet called romance. He had never brought an overnight bag; she hadn't left her toothbrush behind.

But, somehow, they had managed not to ruin it, none of them had run, and... life had happened. The plain ordinariness of everyday life had given them assurance, and now he could enjoy a game with Brennan taking a bath in the other room, and it was okay. It was more than okay.

The door opened, and he gave her a candid smile, as she padded in his direction on bare feet. Her hair was damp, curling darkly around her clean face, and without the disguise of the day, it never failed to amaze him how young she looked.

"Here comes the mermaid," he murmured lovingly, and she looked at him in puzzlement.

"You know that mermaids don't exist, do you?"

"Oh, baby, sometimes your mommy doesn't know what she's talking."

"Booth, you're not allowed to infect our child with myths."

"Sh... don't listen to the crazy woman."

Brennan rolled her eyes, looking down at herself, and suddenly an earnest expression washed over her face, as she remembered one morning not so long ago.

"Booth... is there another meaning of 'looking great'? You know, 'great' can be applied to simple size as well."

She was standing in front of him, the thin robe barely covering her enormous belly, and no matter how much he loved to tease her, sometimes he realized just how vulnerable and inexperienced his partner was when it came to the matters of heart. Grabbing the belt of her robe, Booth tugged her towards him until he could place a kiss on her swollen midsection.

"Sometimes no other meaning is important, Bones. You're bigger, I mean, you're pregnant, I'd worry if you weren't. But... you just look great. As in stunning and beautiful and just great."

She let go of a sigh, and he pulled her carefully into his lap. The scent of lavender oil soared out of her damp hair, as he placed a kiss in it.

"I'm behaving irrationally..."

"Hm, you seemed to be very rational when you mentioned the impossibility of mermaids."

A smile tugged at her lips.

"I'm just not used to being this big. Eating so irrationally."

His hand wandered to her belly, rubbing the firm roundness of it.

"I like it," he confessed. "I mean, Bones, right here, our baby is growing. It's a miracle."

"No, it's not. It's simple biology."

He cut her off with a kiss, heady but soft at the same time.

"A miracle," he repeated, and she snuggled into his embrace, accepting his comfort, opening herself to his point of view.

On the TV screen, weirdly dressed men were running around, but, right here in this room, she could hear Booth's breaths, his heartbeat.

"Maybe... a little miracle. Although I will never admit having said so."

He rocked her with a chuckle.

"I haven't heard anything."

"Is there something wrong with your ears? Oh... I understand."

"I always knew your IQ might come in handy one day."

"Is this another case of teasing?"

"Maybe."

"So... another token of love?"

His hand found a loose curl, pushing it behind her ear, and, with a broad smile, he washed away her insecurities.

"Definitely."

To be continued...


	6. Rational

_Based on the, oh-my-god-so-wow, sneak-peeks._

VI. Rational

And then, bang, just when he felt safe and warm with her, she managed to push him into ice-cold water with just a few words. Dammit, he loved her; he was almost crazy with loving her, his heart bursting with feelings so hot, so strong. And then she gave him her anthropological jibber-jabber and sudden cold was crushing this big, bursting heart. Dammit.

You don't leave your pregnant woman behind with half-eaten plates and an unpaid bill. You just don't. But, sometimes, you don't really have a choice. All that Booth could do was mumbling a halfhearted excuse, making sure that she knew that he wasn't leaving _her_, and then he left. Not her, just this.

_We're family. Even you should know what that means._

She had done it, something stupid, and he was gone. The remains of his pie were staring at her reproachfully, and her restless mind dissected the past minutes.

_We should move in together._

Delight, there had been delight on his face. A self-assured, relaxed kind of delight. The delight of someone who knew that his own feelings were reciprocated.

_No, __that __is __your__ place. __We__ need _our_ place._

His face had sobered, and he had refused her offer, politely but vehemently.

_This should be my decision._

Hurt. Anger. And then he had left. Part of her reasoned that she had done nothing wrong, that none of her conclusions had been false. It was a calm, clinical voice. However, there was another part as well... one that was still afraid to let go of reason, to surrender to romantic irrationality. A part that felt as if inviting him into her home was easier than building something completely new with him. It was hard, this sharing...

Bowing her head, she sighed in the direction of her belly. Yes, this child was inside of her. But it was his as well... Grabbing her purse, she pulled out some notes and left them on the table.

This woman! Booth was still mad, when he took a seat in this park café ten minutes later, still mad when she finally found him.

"I'm sorry, Booth."

She was sorry, fine. That was progress. But, he wondered, did she even know what she should be sorry for? He was well aware that she was the loaded one, the smart one, but... did she know that dwelling on it was like rubbing salt into wounds? He had accepted the facts long ago, made peace with them. However, he was the man! He didn't even want to be superior in their relationship, just equal. And... every once in a while he wanted to take care of her in the simple, old-fashioned way men in love did.

"Look, Bones, I love you. That's not rational. Us having a kid? That's not rational. But... here we are."

The baby chose that moment to kick, and he was just looking at her, waiting for her to say something. _I__ love__ you_... she knew that he loved her, he told her so frequently, and, always, there was a responding ache of sweetness and vulnerability in her chest, even though she couldn't verbalize it. For all her life, rationality had saved her when things had gotten too complicated, and she was almost angry that he wouldn't allow her to hide behind it this time. Not anymore.

"I," he took a deep breath, "I don't want us to live together, if it's just rational. It breaks my heart, but I'm not doing this, if it's nothing but rational for you."

"Booth..."

His eyes were dark with something, and it felt as if her lungs were suddenly too small to provide her body with enough oxygen.

"Angela informed me that our baby has a right to expect that both of us will be around. She showed me a video..."

Brennan swallowed hard.

"Yeah... and I'm with Angela on this one. But, as much as I love this kid already, this is about us as well. You and me. And if you wanna build _us_ on rationality, that's wrong. Trust me, it won't make you happy in the long run, and _I_ cannot be happy if _you_ aren't. Rationality is not enough for me."

And, suddenly, she knew the feeling of an ice-cold fist grabbing your metaphorical heart as well.

"You wanna give up?" she whispered, and he squeezed his eyes shut at her small voice.

"No," he shook his head vehemently. "I will never give up on you. I want to be with you, always. But not because it is rational, just because it is love. And if you need more time," now he had to look away, "that's okay. I can wait. I know waiting."

"I'm... scared," she finally admitted because if he could be so brave, she had to try it as well. "Everything's changing, the baby is growing, you are there being," she shrugged helplessly, "just so perfect and right all the time and... just you. Everybody seems to know exactly what to do, and here I am. The only things I know, I'm good at, are reason and facts."

He reached out to grasp her fingers.

"That's nuts, Bones. Do you remember the first night you came to me?"

"Of course."

Blinking once, twice, she turned her palm until he could link fingers with her.

"That was not rational, that was just feeling too much. And in the night, when you take my hand in sleep and press it to your heart? Snuggle into me all warm and soft... Has nothing to do with facts. Yesterday, I found you in the lab, you were reconstructing some skull, but your voice was lovey-dovey, while you told your belly a story about Mr. Bonesman. Not rational."

Tilting her head, she smiled shyly.

"You heard that?"

He grinned back at her.

"Recorded it. Look, Bones... I know you. I don't expect you to throw red roses or something like that my way. But don't give me your 'it's rational' crap. Cause that hurts. You can do better than that."

Her eyes were big, shimmering with something.

"And if I can't?"

His lips curved up in that special charming smile of him, the one that said, 'I know that I'm right, and every argument is invalid.'

"You can. I know it. Five months, Bones. You, me, this little one inside of you. Five months of us. The best five months ever. I know you. I want to be there for you. Just let me."

There it was again, this sweet ache inside of her, burning stronger than reason.

"Booth... I've been alone for so long..."

"Yeah, but you'll never be alone again."

"I had a family once. I didn't expect them to leave, either."

And, suddenly, they had found honesty beneath her secure layers of rationality. Looking down at her open hand, Booth drew slow patterns over her palm.

"I cannot undo the past. Wish I could, believe me, but I can't. All I can do is giving you a now, a future. Not just for you, Bones, for myself as well. I need this just as much as you do."

His old pain met hers, memories clouding this unexpected warm day of autumn. Sometimes, she forgot that she wasn't the only one scarred among the two of them, that while she had found science and reason, he had built himself a shelter in faith and hope. It was different, but still the same. Her heart took a leap, reaching out to him.

"Booth, I... I love you. Very much so."

Surprise and joy brightened his dark brown eyes, his fingers clutching hers unexpectedly.

"Because... it's rational?"

His playful tone couldn't quite cover the earnestness behind his question, and she met him with a candid smile.

"Yes, it is rational. But it's irrational and beyond scientific explanation as well."

And for a moment, just a moment, he was speechless at her admission that she loved him with brain _and_ heart. The moment vanished, and he jumped to his feet, tugging at her hand.

"Come on, give me a hug."

"Booth, we're in a public-"

"Oh, shut up. I didn't suggest make-up sex on this table, did I?"

A giggle tickled her throat, and then his hair tickled her nose, as she was pulled into his embrace. And it was warm again. His hand soothed over her back in familiar circles, his cheek rubbed against her hair. Closing her eyes, Brennan burrowed her nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply, and her arms came around his back, enveloping him in her very own circle of safety. Inside of her, the baby was shifting, creating bubbles, and there was nothing rational about the sudden joy and tenderness that was flooding her.

Then his lips were at her temple, leaving a soft kiss behind, and when he let go of her again, Brennan couldn't find a trace of anger in his features. Just surrender. And, suddenly, it was easy somehow.

"I want to live with you, Booth."

"And I want to live with you."

"We will find a place for us."

Lifting his hand, he caressed her face, and she tilted her head to press her cheek into his palm.

"I know. We always have."

To be continued...


	7. Now and Then

VII. Now and Then

Memories... they came full circle, crashing into him with the speed of light and without warning. He had kept his fair share of good memories, not knowing that somewhere in a small wooden box the rest of them had been held as a treasure. Not knowing that he wasn't the only one remembering, the only one treasuring.

It was happiness and pain all at once, and hard tears were running down his face. Seeley Booth did not cry. Never. Except that he did. He was laughing and sobbing, mourning the loss of something that should have been, could have been. Would never be.

He was lost in the past, back in the Veterans Stadium in 1980. It had been a Tuesday. It's funny what your mind holds onto and what just slips away, like sand in the wind, never seen again. There had been a barely fainted bruise on his back, only a week old, but, that day, it hadn't hurt anymore. The smell of hot dogs and excitement had been lingering in the air. And his dad. A cheap after-shave. The scent of menthol on his breath. No trace of booze. It had been a moment stolen in time, but... it _had__ been_ a moment.

He wasn't that boy anymore, he had stopped being that boy long ago. If only he could fully believe it...

Taking a shuddered breath, Booth allowed the past to be what it was. Gone. He was in his living-room, his dinner long forgotten, but next to him was the presence of a soft and real body. And, suddenly, he realized that he was holding her hand.

Turning his head, Booth buried his face in her dress, and, with a deep breath of her own, Brennan took him fully into her arms. Finally. He was trembling a little bit, clutching her maybe a tad too hard for her tender breasts, but she was stroking his hair, and it was okay.

Time heals everything. Tomorrow is a new day... There were a lot of truisms, but Brennan didn't bother uttering a single one of them. She knew that he knew them anyway, and, besides, sometimes a simple touch is enough, better than a thousand empty words. And this touch wasn't even a simple one, on the contrary, Brennan was giving him her full "you are safe with me, I love you"-hug. A hug very few people had received before him. Maybe Angela. Did that even count?

Cradled in her arms, Booth had calmed down somehow, the sobs subsided. He refused to let go of her, though, and, suddenly, Brennan could name the one thing she could give Booth that nobody else could.

Strength.

Seeley Booth was a strong man, she knew that, but Brennan knew about ice-skating at midnight, the sixth game of the World Series, the belt, the pain, the despair as well. With her, Booth could allow himself to be weak without risking his strength. She was the one who knew the truth of him, and he could find comfort in her.

Bending down, she kissed his dark hair, inhaling his evening scent.

"Thanks, Bones," he whispered, his face still hidden in the folds of her dress.

"Being sad is so much better than being dead inside," she answered, thinking of another night, a different kind of despair.

"Buddhism again?"

"No, Micah-ism."

"Huh?"

"It doesn't really matter. What is important, though, is that you may not let anger take this away from you, Booth. Good and bad can both exist next to each other. It's up to you which one you want to remember."

"Is that what you have done?"

Another kiss was dropped onto his head.

"Yes."

"I love you, Bones."

"I love you too. You," she shrugged clumsily above him, "you are my family."

He finally dared lifting his head, and his damp eyes met her soothingly familiar gaze.

"I'm sorry for crushing your breasts," he finally said.

"I find that your emotional well-being is more important to me than a neglectable physical discomfort."

"Neglectable? You went to bed around eight last night."

"Well, as much as I like your grandfather, I don't feel comfortable walking around naked with him in the room."

"I'm actually quite thankful for that display of puritan modesty."

His attempt of a joke took her off guard.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

He considered her question honestly.

"I'm better. But... there's been a flaw in your logic."

She looked honestly puzzled.

"What kind of flaw?"

"'For the time being, we're sharing our lives.'"

Her gaze fell down, but he took her hand and placed a kiss into her palm.

"I'm still a scientist, Booth. I cannot promise you forever. I don't believe in it."

"Wrong, Baby, you do!"

"What?"

Her blue eyes were big and wide, solely focussed on him.

"Time is an illusion. Nothing's happening in a linear way. There's no difference between past and presence. You've said that. But... if there's no difference between past and presence, there's no difference between them and the future. Ergo, you give me now, you give me a future."

"That's a very twisted kind of logic, Booth."

"Hey, it's not my fault if quantum physics is twisted."

He tugged her down until she was sitting awkwardly in his lap, enfolding her and the belly into a huge embrace.

"You know what, Bones? With your reason and my faith, we have it fully covered."

Shifting on his lap, she sought a comfortable position for her head on his shoulder.

"And what does that mean?"

"I don't need you to say 'forever' as long as it feels like forever."

Turning his head, he buried his nose in her hair, enjoying the silkiness of her soft curls. Holding her with his right arm, Booth let his left palm roam over her curves, lingering on her full breasts.

"Still sore?"

"Not anymore. Dr. Edison recommended-"

"Whoa! You've discussed you breasts with him?"

"He offered assistance."

"What?"

"I don't think he was implying anything sexual."

"Just to be clear... you don't walk around naked in the lab, do you?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Booth."

"You wanna walk around naked now?"

"Like I said, my breasts are quite fine at the moment."

"You wanna walk around naked nonetheless?"

"Is this a proposal for intercourse?"

"Yeah."

"Why don't you just say so?"

"Oh, well, I thought I'd go for subtle tonight."

"It is not very subtle to ask me if I wanna walk around naked."

"It is not?"

"You're making fun of me!" she complained, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Sorry, Bones. Hey... thanks for being here and for being you. Okay?"

Lifting her head, she found his expression candid and unguarded.

"Always," she whispered, and he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

Once... to show his gratitude.

Twice... to emphasize said gratitude.

Trice... because she was just so warm and welcoming.

Lips locked, breaths mingled, tongues swept over each other. His fingers in her hair, her arms around his neck.

_Love__ that __woman__ you__ have._

Pops had always been a very smart man.

Booth wished that he could just scoop her up and carry her to bed. Seven months pregnant, this was not an option anymore. So they got up together. They walked into his bedroom hand in hand. And when he undressed her, when she undressed him and they met each other between cool sheets, it was them together as well.

No matter if it was past, present or future... it was now.

To be continued...


	8. Standing There

IIX. Standing There

Once she had been standing in front him in the rain, looking so very young and carefree, her ponytail bobbing around her head as he had kissed her. He hadn't known back then that she was anything but carefree; hadn't known how good she was at suppressing her feelings, hiding her scars.

Then... he had gotten to know her. And he had learned. As had she. Demons and ghosts; those who were long gone and those who came back to haunt you.

A few years later, she had been standing in front of him in the darkness, her eyes shimmering with tears as his heart had been crushed along with hers. Unable to change, unable to cross that bridge. It had been one of the most intense moments of his whole life, no matter how devastating the outcome had been.

The world had turned, things happened. Life continued. They had drifted away from each other only to meet again.

Another street in the darkness. She and him. Her eyes wide in wonder and apprehension, her thoughts whirling. His as well. _I'm pregnant..._

He had scooped her up in his arms, held her as tight as he had been able to, afraid to end the moment. From that night on, she had stayed, though. Hadn't run anymore. And a whole new chapter had begun.

One with bunny slippers and closeness at night. Soft moans, warm arms, two toothbrushes. Cereals and pancakes. Compromises, oh so very compromises... but who does count when in love?

Now she was standing in front of him again, her face so open, her smile so lovingly.

"You found our house."

And he had.

The alpha male inside of him triumphed.

_I found us a hut!_

The alpha woman inside of her responded in awe.

_A mighty hut, indeed._

Even though it was barely more than a ruin right now, she could see the solid and healthy bones underneath... as he had always been able to see the very bones of their relationship. An outsider might have spotted nothing but two people so fundamentally different, but he had always seen the elements which, added together, would sum up to perfect harmony. A foundation so solid, so right.

She, him. This house.

They kissed like two people who knew how to kiss each other, who belonged to each other, and no matter how much he loved her belly, for one second did he wish that she could be even closer to her. She broke the kiss a few sweet moments later.

"Show me our room."

"Sure."

Taking her hand, he tugged her down the hall, stopping in a square room with big windows.

"Space for even more cherry trees," he said while squeezing her hand.

"I love it."

"You really do?"

His voice was just a little bit breathless, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"She'd be just around the corner, and I can see us here. Our bed."

Turning around, he took her into his arms from behind, his palms splayed out on her belly. Underneath the firm cover of skin, he could feel the infant's movements.

"Our bed," he repeated while swaying her gently, one of his hands sliding lower to cup her through her clothes.

Her breath hitched.

"Booth..."

Her voice was as soft as a moan, and he lowered his head to nibble the tender skin right below her ear.

"Hmm?"

"As much as I want to, I'm too pregnant to have intercourse on a hardwood floor with holes."

Pulling her even tighter against his body, he kissed her neck.

"I figured so. But, Bones, one day I will make love to you in this room. I will undress you, kiss you everywhere, do that thing you like so much... and do it again the next night, huh?"

She chuckled in his arms.

"Most likely, we will be sleep-deprived, my breasts full of milk."

"Ah, still, it will be wonderful. Our daughter will grow up in this house, run with Parker in the backyard, and we'll be sitting on the porch, watching them."

"We could get a dog!"

"Sure, we can. Bones..."

He turned her around in his arms, smoothing her soft and wavy hair with his palms.

"I would have lived with you anywhere, you know that, right?"

She let go of a laugh.

"It sounded different the last months."

"Yeah, I got kind of distracted by male pride and something like that, but, when it comes down to it... I don't really care where I live as long as you're there. This is my dream, Bones. You."

She didn't break his gaze one second.

"Did you realize that we've spent the better part of the past months at yours even though we'd had agreed on split time?"

He nodded slowly.

"Yeah, now that you mention it... Why?"

She shrugged in his arms, but it wasn't the helpless kind of shrug.

"It just happened. You needed a clean suit, my laptop was at your apartment... It doesn't really matter, and I didn't mention it because, to me, home is where you are."

His heart, which had been so very big and soft to begin with, melted even more at her words.

"Bones..."

"The feeling is mutual, Booth. I'd live with you anywhere. As long as you are there."

He kissed her then, just because he had to and just because he could now.

"I love you, Bones."

"I know. And I love you, too."

There was a smile in her words, in her kiss, and under their leaking roof, he kissed her and held her. And after some time, when the very same leaking roof became quite annoying, they left the promising ruins of their future home to go back to their present one.

Which, to him, would be where she was.

Which, to her, would be where he was.

To be continued...


	9. Happy

_Remember how the writers made Brennan extra-dumb in "The Hot Dog in the Competition"? Well, I didn't like that._

XI. Happy

"You're happy."

Brennan watched her partner, his gaze glued to the screen in front of them, with bright eyes, her whole face lightning up under a smile, making her look younger than she was and oh so carefree. He turned to her, his hand reaching out, touching her belly. His daughter. Instantly, Brennan leaned back to give him better access to the roundness, and his familiar fingers whispered over her skin.

Happy.

Contrary to common belief, his happiness was what mattered to her more than anything else.

Happy.

She had never known happiness like this, happiness which depended on someone else. Brennan had been content with her life, her accomplishments, but sheer happiness linked to something as fragile as another human being? She hadn't felt that ever since she had turned sixteen. It was a risk, a gamble, and... sometimes... sometimes she was still that lonesome girl waiting for her parents' return. That desperate woman standing on the steps of the Hoover Building, trying to protect the man in front of her.

Brennan hadn't mentioned the ultrasound to Booth, but right here, right now, with his warm hand on her and his funny voice talking to the little girl in her womb, she didn't even know why.

"Booth, I have more."

His eyebrows curved up, as he tore his gaze away from her belly.

"Even more?"

"Even more." She nodded. "I've come to the realization that I denied you a very important moment, and I cannot begin to express how sorry I am. So, here's more."

Reaching behind her, Brennan shoved a little wrapped something into his lap.

"Huh? What is it?"

"I suggest opening it."

Granting himself a moment, just the briefest fraction of a moment to take in the pink wrapping paper with countless little pacifiers on it, Booth inhaled happily before he tore the paper apart. A framed picture with gray patterns appeared.

"Aw, Bones. Is this...?"

"A picture of our daughter."

He traced the blurry face with his fingers before picking up the second part of her gift. A chuckle escaped his lips.

"Socks?"

Brennan nodded again.

"I believe pink or baby blue socks are commonly used as symbols for the sex of a baby. I... I just don't want you to think that I don't care. Because I do." Her voice softened. "We're having a girl."

Letting go of his gifts, Booth took her face in both hands, pressing his lips to hers.

"I know. A little baby girl with your eyes."

"You cannot know that."

"A mini Bones with my prominent mental protuberance... Ahem, what does that mean?"

"Jawline. She has your jawline."

"Does that mean she has a big chin?"

"I'm positive she will be beautiful."

One more kiss.

"She has to be. I mean... I'm a handsome guy, but look at you, Bones. Just look at you."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Are you fishing for another one?"

Laughing out, she slid down on the couch, her head finding its place on his shoulder. And, just like that, Temperance Brennan allowed herself to be happy as well.

Mistakes... they are part of every relationship. As is fixing them. And fixing hers... she did.

To be continued...


	10. Tomorrow

X. Tomorrow

Nothing about the way she felt was rational. You could blame it on the hormones, still so bailed up after all these months. Booth would just say, "You're her mom."

"You're her mom", was kind of his favorite thing to say these days.

She was a mom now.

Maybe it was the fact that this incredibly perfect human being – Brennan still counted Christine's phalanges on a regular base – had developed inside of her body for ten months, maybe it was the fact that the baby shared hers and Booth's DNA, maybe it was just that her daughter was the cutest baby ever...

Nothing was rational.

A mother's brain reacts as if drugged when her baby smiles at her. As a scientist, she knew that. But not as a mom. The heart-clenching rush of fear and joy was unlike everything she had ever expected. Loving Christine was so sweet but raw at the same time. Even loving Booth – as mighty as it was – felt relatively save compared to the scarily intense depths that were Brennan's feelings for the baby.

And here she was, six weeks into this new life they had created, and the thought of being separated from her child hurt her almost physically. It made no sense. She would be fine. _They_ would be fine. Booth had even used his FBI powers to do a background check on the daycare director. Unbeknownst to him, Brennan had used her very own powers as well...

Christine was looking up at her with her big marble eyes – it was still too early to tell their exact color – tiny hands fluttering through the air. Brennan frowned as she took in the elephant printed on the onesie. Even though they weren't aggressive by nature, elephants could still kill infants.

With grim satisfaction, Brennan reached for the blanket to swaddle her daughter. This one had been her choice, and the butterflies scattered all over the white fabric had just the right size to be anatomically correct. Besides, butterflies were friendly.

"Here are my girls."

Booth entered the nursery with a big grin. He was smiling at lot these days and she decided to let him have the "girls" remark. Brushing her hair aside, he kissed her cheek lovingly before scooping up the gurgling baby.

He was a wonderful father... a wonderful man. _Her_ wonderful man. The thought sent pleasant shivers through her whole body, just like it always did, but today she couldn't shake off the strange feeling of anxiety.

Today would be her first day back at work.

Brennan had missed work. The lab. The squints. The feeling of smooth bones underneath her fingertips. The simple beauty that was science. It was so rational, made sense. She had truly missed it. However, missing work had been an almost pleasant longing compared to the idea of giving her precious baby to someone else for the better part of the day.

Her priorities had shifted so completely and, this time, it wouldn't be undone in three days. It could never be undone.

She was a mom now.

-BONES-

She lasted about two hours before she had to cry for the first time. Secretly, just a little bit ashamed. It had been nothing... really nothing... just that little cap of her daughter which had somehow found its way into her shoulder bag. Found its way into her hands... and to her nose. Inhaling deeply, Brennan was overwhelmed by the sweet and utterly familiar baby scent she found in the soft fabric, and, immediately, the milk shot into her breasts with painful force.

She tried to convince herself that one photo every thirty minutes would be enough, tried to convince the others as well. Around eleven o' clock, when it was time to nurse her daughter, Brennan found that she was almost running, though.

And there she was. Tiny and perfect and warm and breathing. Hers. The weight of the baby soothed the former emptiness of her arms, greedy lips on her breast suckled away the pain. Booth dropped by as well, watching how she fed the child, rocking her chair ever so gently.

Suddenly, everything made sense again. Until she had to leave. Empty arms and heavy heart.

"Are you okay?"

Concern in his voice, reassurance in his deep brown eyes. She swallowed hard, clutching his hand just a tad too fiercely.

"I'm fine. Just... adjusting."

He gave her a secret hug in the hallway, and the tears threatened to fall as she was buried so safely in his arms. Taking a deep breath, she tried to shake it off, giving him a fragile smile. And his heart expanded. Tucking one loose curl behind her ear – he loved her curls and was ridiculously glad to see them back – Booth regarded her pale face.

"You know, I miss her, too, Bones."

"She is in good hands."

"Yes, she is."

The rest of the day went by achingly slowly, and when it was finally time to pick up the baby, Brennan was almost crazy with relief. Tomorrow would be easier.

Except that... it wasn't.

This time, she was prepared for the ache of longing, though, determined to compartmentalize. Until she found that baby in the drawer. Her best friend breaking the rules so shamelessly.

"Why is he here?"

"Seriously? Because I missed him. Don't you miss Christine?"

Oh, yes! So, so much...

"I'm at work, so I focus on work. We have to compartmentalize our lives."

Liar!

"And you can do that?"

No! No, she couldn't... regardless of how hard she tried...

"I have to."

"Okay. Well, I can't, so I just break the rules. And it feels so good, doesn't it?"

Brennan's phone chose that moment to beep, rewarding her with a brand-new picture of her own baby, the one she was missing so much.

"Christine."

"Aw. So is that all you need?"

No! I need to hold her, smell her, feel her, her body cried.

"I'll see her soon enough."

One arrest and an impromptu shopping trip later, she could finally breathe again. However, she couldn't bring herself to put the sleeping baby into her crib, couldn't let go of her daughter. Brennan was done pretending to be fine, when, in truth, she wasn't, and, his arm around her, the baby so close to her, she finally allowed the tears to fall.

"It's not rational, I know... I mean, look at her." Her voice broke. "I just missed her so much."

And his heart that was already so very full of love for her, _for them_, drowned even further in the sweet sensation.

"Look, I'll be here for you and for her. Anything you need. We'll go slow on this."

Her head dropped onto his shoulder, like it always did, and shifting slightly, he brushed her temple with his lips.

"I just didn't expect it to be so... hard. So heart-crushing," she said after her while, her voice almost tiny.

"You're her mom."

His favorite thing to say. And, somehow, it made her smile. Turning her head, she offered him her lips, and he grazed them softly with his own, filling her with renewed confidence.

"I'll learn to adjust."

The baby meowed in sleep, and his gaze lingered on the sweet little face.

"No, you probably won't. But you'll get used to not adjusting, Bones."

Later that night, she cried in his arms... his arms where she had learned to sleep and moan and feel safe in. It was okay to let go in his arms. He was stroking her back, soothing her with the very same voice he used to comfort the baby. It was okay not be strong all the time. He had known that all along; she had just figured it out. She cried until she felt empty but full at the same time, a sweet mixture of his warm skin and baby powder surrounding her, pulling her under the cover of sleep.

The scent of love. The scent of family.

Tomorrow would be easier. She would ask Angela for advice about sneaking babies into the lab. She would learn to cope.

But most of all... she wouldn't be alone.

Would never be again.

To be continued...

_How utterly perfect was this episode?_


	11. Knowing

_Based on the drop-dead gorgeous sneak peeks for 7x09. This is M._

XI. Knowing

"_Trust me, you're not in someone else's body. I know your body. I guarantee that one."_

-BONES-

Unlike one significant other in his life, Seeley Booth did not consider himself scary smart, but there were some things he knew. He knew when somebody was trying to bullshit him. He knew his Flyers, how to fix a car, pull the trigger, stir-fry garlic. He had even learned to understand some of the squints jibber-jabber. He had always known that Bones was the answer to most of his questions.

And he knew her body. Oh yes, he knew her body.

Temperance Brennan was not a modest person, in fact, she was probably as far away from modest as one can be, and seeing her self-conscious about something had always shaken his world a little bit. He had always tried to fix it – with hugs or words or smurfs – and even though he found her current concern quite laughable, he tried to be the supportive partner, tried to adopt her point of view.

But... a golf course! How did she even come up with a simile like that?

Listening to his partner singing their child to sleep, he couldn't suppress his smirk. Even after all these months, all these years she never failed to amuse him. Mostly when she didn't intend to amuse him at all.

The singsong in the nursery was replaced by the soft melody of Christine's musical clock and then Brennan's footsteps could be heard, damped by her plushy bunny slippers.

"She's sleeping."

"Yeah, she had a very exciting day trying to suck her own toes."

"Her motoric skills are quite extraordinary."

Stowing the last glass into the dish-washer, Booth turned to his woman, outstretching his arms. Without further encouragement, she stepped into his embrace.

"Are you tired?" he murmured, his hands rubbing her back.

She relaxed under his caress, humming incoherently.

"You look great, by the way."

Something like "umph" was his answer, and he chuckled.

"Are you laughing about me?"

Pulling away slightly, Brennan ogled him suspiciously.

His hands sneaked under her top, but she pulled away for real now, and his face sobered somehow.

"Bones, look, I'm sorry. It's just that you _do_ look great. Stunning and sexy and beautiful."

Tilting her head, she gnawed her lip in that adorable way of hers.

"You're biased."

"Of course I am, I love you."

Her eyelids fluttered at his words, as if it was still a pleasant surprise, even after... after everything.

"Do you trust me?"

"You know that I do."

"Then come."

He offered his hand to her, and, after a tiny second of hesitation, she accepted it, letting him guide her to the bedroom.

"Booth..."

He stilled her with a quick but firm kiss before letting go of her hand.

"Get undressed."

It wasn't really a question, and she sucked in a breath.

"Wha-"

"Trust me."

He had turned around, rummaging around in her drawer until he found what he was looking for.

"A scarf? You wanna tie me up again?"

His eyes wandered boldly over her body, and he gave her a cocky grin, a grin that caused her belly to tighten in excitement.

"Tempting. But not today. Get undressed."

Lowering her eyes, she finally nodded, an almost shy smile blooming around her lips.

"Give me a minute."

He watched her disappearing in the adjoining bathroom, bunny slippers, funny ponytail and everything, and his heart widened in sudden tenderness. This was not about tenderness, though, it was about reassurance, about confidence, and, blinking once, twice, he focused on the task ahead.

A few minutes later, he heard the bathroom door opening, heard her soft "oh".

'Ah, you didn't see this one coming, did you?'

He sat in front of her on the bed they shared every night, gloriously naked except for the flimsy scarf covering his eyes.

"Booth..."

Her voice sounded just a tad breathless. Good. Very good.

"This morning I heard the smartest woman I know saying something very stupid about her body," he begun, imagining how she would tilt her head, looking just a little bit confused.

"I love that body, by the way. Come here."

Outstretching his arm, he waited for the weight of her hand in his. He didn't have to wait too long, though, and he clasped it gently.

"Your hands can do the most amazing things. Put skulls back together. Soothe our daughter. I'm very fond of your hands."

Bringing said hand to his lips, he kissed each and every knuckle before pulling her thumb into his mouth, sucking gently.

A sharp gasp was his answer.

Spreading his legs, he pulled her between his thighs. Her smooth skin brushed his knee, and anticipation tickled down his spine.

"Let me tell you a few things about your body, ya?"

Imagining her nod, he got up, taking her face into both hands.

"You have the prettiest face I've ever seen."

Bending down, he kissed her cheeks, her eyelids.

"Soft skin, blue eyes, silky hair."

She meowed somehow and he lingered on her lips for a few moments, luxuriating in the intimately familiar act of kissing her.

"But you know that, don't you?"

"My structure is very symmetric."

"I bet it is."

His palms slid down her arms in one swift caress.

"I love your arms. I mean, you're so slender, but when you hold me, I feel safe. They are strong arms. Long and elegant. Like your legs. Kick-ass legs, Bones." He chuckled. "Literally."

She couldn't help but laugh.

"I think I get your point."

"Oh no, we just started."

And, just like that, he cupped her breasts. He tested their weight before brushing his thumbs over her sensitive nipples, causing her to moan. Almost helplessly, she leaned into his touch.

"I kind of have to wait in line at the moment, but I'm a sucker for your breasts."

Lowering his head, he buried it in her cleavage, and the sweet scent of woman and milk surrounded him.

"I bet they hurt," he continued, "and it must be weird... uh... you know..."

"Lactating," she added helpfully.

His tongue darted out, tasting the swollen flesh.

"Yeah. It's magic."

Suddenly, her fingers were running through his hair, massaging his scalp, and he sighed contently.

"It's not magic, it's biology," she corrected.

Turning his head a few inches, he sucked her nipple between his lips, ever so gently not to add to the soreness. She went very still in his arms.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No, but if you don't stop..."

Her warning came too late, and he could taste the almost sugary flavor of her on his tongue.

Inhaling sharply, she tried to pull away, but he held her tight.

"Magic, Bones," he murmured before spreading the drops of mother's milk over her areola.

"Booth..."

Leaving her breasts, he traveled southwards, pressing his cheek against the soft curve of her abdomen.

"Can I tell you a secret? Sometimes I miss your belly. Maybe it's a guy thing, but the sight of you carrying my baby? Wow. Can I tell you another secret? When you were still pregnant, there have been moments when I just wanted to feel you close to me, so very close without anything in between. Maybe that's just selfish."

"Even at the risk of sounding shallow... I don't like that my skin is so flabby."

"It's not flabby. Just a little bit softer. It's evidence, Bones. Evidence that a baby has been in there. Besides, you'll be all toned and skinny soon enough, look at the healthy crap you eat."

Lifting his hands, he palmed her hips.

"They're wider than before, but I like that. You look like a real woman. There's that birthmark right here," he found the right spot even blindfolded, tapping gently.

"And now we're getting to my favorite part."

Grinning widely, he let his hands slide around her to cup her bottom, kneading confidently. Above him, she laughed huskily.

"Firm. Well-defined muscles. Perfect roundness. Very symmetric as well. You have a great ass, Bones."

Shifting his head, he peppered little kisses all over her midsection.

"A whole great body."

He could feel her fingers in his hair again, but this time they weren't caressing him, rather tugging at the silky material of the scarf, and then sudden brightness blinded his vision. Blinking hard, he tried to adjust to the light.

"Trust me, I know your body. You look great, Bones. Gorgeous. You truly do."

He was looking at her with simple honesty... and, just like that, she felt beautiful somehow.

"Thank you," she whispered, her heart suddenly spilling over with warmth.

Pushing him backwards, she crawled on top of him, pressing herself to his wonderfully naked body from head to toe, and, in one strong motion, he flipped her around until he was towering above her.

"I believe you," she added on a breathless sigh, and the corner of his mouth arched up cockily.

"I'm not done."

"No?"

His hand ran down her side before cupping the back of her thigh, raising it... and the firm heat of his erection was pressed against her soft flesh.

"_Oh_..."

"This is what you do to me. I want you like crazy. I've never felt so," he breathed heavily into her ear, "out of control before. The way you look, the way you talk, the way you are. Just you."

Tilting his pelvis, he rubbed his full length over her, and, beneath him, she arched her back. One of her hands sneaked between their bodies, and then it was his turn to gasp, as her nimble fingers closed around his shaft.

"I want you just the same," she answered, her tongue darting out to circle his auricle. "Just the same, Booth."

He groaned helplessly, burying his face in her hair, rocking into her hand. Her thumb brushed the velvety skin on his hard flesh, and the noises he made sent jolts straight to her core.

Using her strength, she surprised him by flipping them around anew, breaking their sweet friction, but before he could protest, she had lifted and lowered herself with her very unique mixture of adorableness and grace. And he was inside of her.

"Yes," he sighed, eyes dropping shut in pleasure.

Her inner muscles fluttered in welcome, and, opening his eyes again, he reveled in the sight of her above him; full breasts, flushed cheeks, slightly parted lips.

"So beautiful..."

Her eyes opened, dazzling blue, and a broad smile lit up his whole face. Then she started to move, a little frown of concentration between her eyes, and he grasped her buttocks, pulling himself into her deeper and deeper.

Some things had not changed at all. She was still snug and warm around him, deliciously wet, and he held his breath to last as long as possible, to make it good for her. One hand left her ass, diving between their bodies, and with the knowledge of a man who had done that a hundred times before, he started to massage her with two gentle fingers, applying just the right amount of pressure to her oversensitive bundle of nerves.

She gasped, throwing her head back, and, raising himself, he pulled her tighter into his embrace. Her lips slanted down on his mouth, warm and damp, her tongue seeking entrance.

"Your body is just as wonderful as everything about you, Baby," he murmured between kisses, and she couldn't bother to chastise him for the pet name anymore.

And then, just like it had happened so often in the past months, it was as if she was carried away by mighty wings, but, miraculously, he was still with her, was flying with her. The frown on her face deepened, as she cried out, and he clutched her even harder, thrusting into her over and over again... until the sensation of her inner walls trembling around him sent him over the edge with her; until his very own pair of wings lifted him...

The house was silent when they came down from their high. Brennan considered rolling down from Booth, but her limbs were way too heavy and she was locked in his strong arms anyways. Shifting her head, she licked his shoulder lazily, and his whole body let go of a sigh.

"Wow," he finally said, and she buried her grin in the crook of his neck.

"Maybe I am in my own body after all."

"Jeez, I'm glad. Bones?"

"Hmm?"

"Whenever you have doubts again, just tell me. I'm always happy to assist."

She chuckled on his chest, but it turned into a yawn pretty soon.

The supportive partner mode kicked in, and he rolled them around gently before reaching for the blanket to cover them. Snuggling up to him, she claimed her usual place in his arms, dropping a kiss onto his chin.

"Just a quick nap," she murmured sleepily, and then she didn't say anything anymore.

Yes... Seeley Booth knew a lot of things. And on the very top of the list of things he knew was the simple truth that his life had never been better than right now.

He was in his house, in his bed, the woman he loved was sleeping in his arms, their baby just a few feet down the hall.

_Do you believe in fate?_

Hell, yes.

He had _known_ it.

To be continued...

_Cannot wait for Monday!_


	12. The Fantasy in the Reality

_Happy sneak peek :)_

XII. The Fantasy in the Reality

"I enjoyed the previous one so much that I wanted one more. I'm done now."

"I'm not done. Bones! Bones!"

The twinkling blue eyes of one bug expert and even the empty sockets of the corpse observed the exchange, and it was as if both of them were grinning. Since it is impossible for the dead to grin on purpose, it was maybe just Jack Hodgins grinning.

Booth and Brennan were a funny couple, Hodgins mused while focusing on the bug activity in front of him once more. In fact, they were a lot of things. Cute. Perfect for each other. Ass-kicking. For a while they have been overly dramatic. But, to him, most of all they were funny. They'd managed to get their daughter – apart from Michael Vincent the sweetest baby ever – kicked out of daycare. They played with Nerf guns. They did this thing with translating each other. And now they were making out at a crime scene.

Looking up again, Hodgins couldn't quite believe it as he found Brennan sandwiched between Booth and his black SUV. Lips locked, pelvises touching. The kind of embrace only lovers can share. His fingers trailed down her side, and she broke the kiss with a laugh. Then she whispered something into his ear and – oh, did he just blush? Booth almost shooed his partner into the car and, just a few seconds later, they were gone.

Hodgins turned to the corpse with a whistle.

"Ah, the benefits of being alive... Sorry, man."

-BONES-

_I never had intercourse in a car._

Her words were echoing in his head, and his whole body was positively throbbing, as Booth steered the vehicle trough rural roads towards the nearby woodland. Every few seconds his mouth opened and closed again, as if trying to find something to say.

"Never like never ever?"

She frowned.

"I wasn't aware that there are different meanings of 'never'."

"So... never. Why?"

She shrugged.

"It just never occurred. I had sex on a boat, though," she offered.

His brow wrinkled in disgust.

"Too much information, Bones."

The road was barely more than a path now and the green of the trees got thicker. Stopping the car and unfastening her seat belt happened in the blink of an eye.

"Booth! What are you doing?"

He squinted.

"Seriously? Seriously. Having car sex. With you."

"Now? I have to go back to the lab."

"And you thought that your lab was right in the woods, Genius?"

"I guess I didn't pay attention to the surroundings."

Tugging at her hand, he pulled her onto his lap.

"You started this, Bones."

"I wasn't implying that I wanted to experience it _right now_, but I understand how you could jump-"

Kissing her was always the best way to render her speechless, so he relied on his favorite method.

"You kissed me," he breathed while nibbling at her bottom lip.

"Then you kissed me again." The tip of his tongue darted out, but only briefly.

"You let me kiss you." Pecking the corner of her mouth.

"And then you mentioned that you _never had sex in a car_. Bones, even the car knew what that meant."

His tongue slid between her lips without waiting for permission, but after a year of kissing him like this, Brennan couldn't _not_ respond to his kiss. She just didn't know how anymore.

The weight of her on his lap felt right and familiar, and, leaning forward into his kiss, her whole body melted against his. In comparison to his solid strength, his mere size, Brennan always felt small, delicate and oh so feminine. She would never tell him, though, because it was an overly girlish thing to think, but, secretly, she liked it very much.

Lifting his hands, he fumbled with her hairband until the mass of dark silk fell freely onto her shoulders.

Another habit of him she liked very much as well.

Still... this was wrong.

"Booth... we cannot have sex in _this_ car."

"What? Why not? It's very roomy for a car."

"It belongs to the FBI. This is a professional setting."

"We had sex in your office."

"Only once, and I felt quite bad about it."

His hands slid down her back until he could cup her buttocks, pressing her deeper into his lap.

"Bad? Huh?"

Her saucy grin matched his own.

"You know what I mean."

"Can we at least make out a little bit? Or get you out of that ugly jumpsuit?" he asked hopefully.

"Ugly? You said the jumpsuit was hot."

"No, I said you were hot wearing it and it was more like an 'even when you' thing, you know?"

Brennan crossed her arms in front of her chest and with her sitting square on his lap, it looked just a little bit funny.

"I am not removing the jumpsuit."

"Bones..."

He was using his best charming smile on her, but she squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head.

"You know that we'll end up having sex as soon as I'm out of it."

"Well... I was kind of hoping for it."

Lifting one hand, he cupped her nape, applying gentle pressure with his thumb – just like he knew she liked it. She surrendered herself to his caress with a low moan, resistance melting.

"Booth... not fair."

Leaning in, he kissed her ear, whispering, "You know what, Bones? The boy seducing the girl is a car sex cliché."

"Really?"

"Really. We talk and I move closer to you. You're a little bit shy at first, but I'm so strong and irresistible, you know? You're the brilliant one; I do sports. On the outside, we have nothing in common. But, secretly, you like me. And I like you. A lot. Maybe there's a bottle of cheap wine. Soft music. I try to get my arm around you and your head falls onto my shoulder. Your blouse gapes open a bit and I can almost see your bra."

Bending forward, she snuggled up to him, and her voice was just a little bit husky.

"And then?"

"I try to kiss you. You let me. First base, Bones."

"Tongue contact?"

"Hell yes. Maybe I'm lucky enough to make it to the second base as well 'cause, Baby, your breasts are just so damn sexy and I wanna feel them so badly."

His body began to stir, and his palms roamed possessively over her back. One suggestive eyebrow arched up.

"Did you happen to change your mind about sex in this car?"

"No... But don't stop talking."

He sighed softly, his nose nuzzling her hair.

"Booth, is there a third base?"

"Yeah. Touching you. Everywhere. You're hot and soft. You feel so good under my fingers. Your hairdo is all mussed now, and your cheeks are rosy. So damn beautiful. You want to touch me as well. And it feels so good. I want you to touch me, you know that, right?"

His words were sending streams of heat through her body. Was it fantasy or reality?

"Yes, I know."

Burrowing her face in the crook of his neck, she inhaled deeply, and he continued.

"And then... kissing you... everywhere. Your mouth on me. Or mine on you."

"Oral sex?"

"Hm-hmm."

"You like oral sex in a car?"

"I'm a guy, Bones, we like it anywhere."

"So... my head is in your lap. My mouth sucking you. You're very big. Do you stroke my hair?"

A helpless groan left his chest and he clutched her just a bit tighter.

"I try not to... not to push you. But I cannot help myself. You're so good at it."

"You're very responsive."

"I almost lose it, but I'm an honorable guy."

She chuckled in his arms.

"Honorable?"

"Yeah. I want to share the fun. Make you feel good as well. You're a bit hesitant at first."

"I need to trust you. To let you do that. Besides, the logistics aren't in our favor."

He smirked.

"Be creative, Bones. It's a starry night, nobody else is here. It's summer, the air is still warm. We get out of the car..."

"The hood?"

"Maybe. I take off my shirt and put it on the hood. I want you to be comfortable."

She laughed out.

"I guess being topless doesn't hurt."

"Busted."

"It works, though. I admire your structure. You're very pleasing to look at. I want to touch you again."

"And you do."

"I do."

"Then you let me do it."

"Oral sex?"

"Hmm-hm."

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"I like it."

"I know you do. You decided to trust me. Can you see the stars, Bones?"

"No, I cannot open my eyes. You're very talented with your tongue and I have to concentrate-"

"Don't concentrate, just feel."

"Okay... I want more. Booth, is there a fourth base?"

"Home run, Baby."

"Do I assume correctly that-"

"You do."

"Okay. I tell you that I want more."

"I'm shit-scared that you won't like it because you're the most beautiful girl I've ever kissed. But, of course, I don't tell."

"Because you want to be cool?"

"Damn right."

"I want to be cool as well, Booth."

"Oh, believe me, I think you're very cool."

"So... we have intercourse? On the hood?"

"There's a lot of fumbling. We might be a little bit clumsy, Bones."

"I'm not clumsy, I'm very athletic."

"Of course you are. Then I'm inside of you."

He let go of a sigh, almost feeling his fantasy.

"You're perfect, Bones."

She let go of a sigh, able to feel it as well.

"You're very gentle. I tell you that I won't break."

"You challenge me?"

"Always, Booth."

"I move. We kiss. Touch. You look wonderful in the moonlight."

"And then?"

"Then you _do_ see stars."

"Metaphorically speaking?"

"Tell me."

"Yes. Yes, I see them. As do you..."

Back in reality, both of them were breathing heavily, and he was still holding her in a vice-like grip. In the narrow space of the car, the air was vibrating.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

Lifting her head, she almost burned him with the intensity in her blue eyes. Oh God, he was so in love with her...

"You're the first and only one I've ever trusted like this."

"Oh Bones..."

Lips met with tender force, tongues found each other. Fantasy fell into reality and so much more...

"Booth? I could ask my dad to babysit Christine tonight."

"Huh?"

"Maybe we could take a ride?"

A full grin broke out on his face as he smoothed back her hair.

"With you? Always."

To be continued...


	13. Sticky

_Remember that ice-cream sex?_

XIII. Sticky

"I was right, it is sticky."

She was lying on her stomach. A beautiful woman; her skin just a few shades darker than the crumbled white sheets she was resting upon, her naked body bathed in soft light.

He was next to her, equally naked, equally disheveled; braced on his right elbow, taking in her flushed cheeks, her swollen lips. With a shrug, be reached out, pushing a damp curl out of her face.

"Maybe it was a bit too melted."

"Maybe it is just impossible to lick a body completely clean."

Crawling closer, he pulled her into his arms, stickiness be damned.

"No reason not to try it."

Laughing out, she sought his lips, finding chocolate and a trace of herself in his kiss.

"I'm sorry we ruined the tanga. It was lovely, Booth."

"Yeah, such a shame. I'm kind of glad it wasn't a seaport, though."

She giggled in that favorite way of him, all throaty and sated in the aftermath of lovemaking, and he nuzzled her shoulder with his cheek.

"Bones?"

"Hmm?"

"Those guys losing interest in their women after having a baby?"

"What about them?"

One more kiss landed on her upper arm, and then he flashed a smile, bright and just a little bit cocky.

"Morons."

Her laughter could fill a whole room with light, he had learned that long ago, and tonight was no exception.

Lowering his head, he brought his mouth to that spot right under her left breast, and soon her voice got that breathless quality anew.

"What are you doing?"

"Still sticky."

"I told you, it is impossible to clean a body with one's tongue. At least for humans."

An eyebrow arched up and his tongue traveled lower.

"You were saying?"

With a sigh, her head fell back onto the pillow. Inhaling a shuddered breath, she opened her legs... once more.

"Nothing... Just keep on trying."

With a smile, he parted his lips, deepening the intimate caress.

Happy places… One could never have enough of them. There's so much darkness in this world, so much uncertainty and pain and danger. Hold tight to your happiness, your light. Don't take for granted that it will be there to shine on you tomorrow. You cannot tell the future. All you can do is live. Be happy. Now.

To be continued...


	14. Leaving

_That's a wrap for season seven..._

XIV. Leaving

"No, computers are the system. And this son-of-a-bitch runs computers."

Within the blink of an eye, Brennan knew that her father was right. Her mind whirled through the possibilities with light-speed, saw means, opportunities and outcomes... some of them devastating.

Jail, a glitch, a transfer. Another mental health institution. Or worse. An abandoned baby. And Booth...

She wasn't the lonely woman anymore. She had so much... to lose.

No, she couldn't go to jail. She couldn't make herself that vulnerable.

Running was the rational thing to do... but she had to leave Booth behind. Something in her tightened at the mere thought, and she blinked the cold fear away. She had to. There was more than the present at stake; their whole future was. If he came with her, he could never be an FBI agent again. And Pelant had already changed too much.

Brennan blinked again. She saw Booth in the early morning, all strength and softness, cradling their daughter in sleep. She saw him in the interrogation room, navy suit and cocky smile. She saw him in the evening, cozy and warm. She heard him at night, whispering to her somewhere between wake and dream. She saw him then and now. He was standing right next to her in their hallway, but already she was saying her silent goodbye. No, not goodbye. See you soon.

Another blink.

"We should have Christine christened before I'm arrested."

"We? You mean... both of us? You gonna come?"

"Yes."

She wanted to give him so much, so much. But there wasn't all that much, the only thing she could give him was one more moment of unadulterated happiness... hope to cling to... something to pray for. Attending the baptism didn't feel like a sacrifice anymore. At least not in relation.

Sometimes running is the logical thing to do, the safest even, but, out of all the people, she was the one who knew first-hand that it never, never felt like that for the ones left behind. Another family torn apart... and this time she would be the one doing the tearing.

-BONES-

_They're my family... I wanna get my family back..._

The words were screaming in his otherwise numb head, throbbing and stabbing. The stairs were cold, but he didn't feel it. They were gone. Burying his hands in his palms, Booth let go of a heartfelt sob.

He could still smell it, the familiar mixture of baby powder and woman.

"I need them back," he whispered, blinking hard.

Once upon a time, somebody had told him a story about love, about burdens and wings. Not that he remembered it in this darkest moment, but he would. Maybe later, maybe tomorrow.

_The thought of losing so much control over personal happiness is unbearable. That's the burden. Like wings, they have weight, we feel that weight on our backs, but they are a burden that lifts us. Burdens which allow us to fly._

Guess what? He had flown. But, just like Icarus, he had to pay the price.

They were gone.

Fly and burn.

Gone.

Burn alone.

Gone.

_I love you, Booth..._

Her words came back to him through the pain, and, above him, the church bells began to ring.

"It's gonna be okay, Baby. I'll make it right again. Take good care of her. I love you too. Both of you. Everything's gonna be okay..."

Getting up, he grabbed the empty baby seat. Taking a deep breath, he stood straight.

"This is war, Pelant. This is war."

The End...

.. at least of this story. This chapter will probably be woven into another multi-chapter fic I plan to write during the hiatus. So, stay tuned.


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